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Today is the 95th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge, “the triumphant First World War battle in which Canada suffered 10,600 casualties, nearly 3,600 of them fatal.” In an article in today’s Globe Jane Urquhart, author of The Stone Carvers, “recalls the neglect — historic and physical — that Vimy and its spectacular monument once endured, and applauds its renaissance as part of our national narrative.”

Ms Urquhart tells us her own education (like mine) gave the Battle of Vimy Ridge short shrift and it was not until she visited the site with her future husband and was profoundly moved by a tour of the site and in her case so inspired by it that years later she wrote The Stone Carvers, she understood the significance of Canada’s victory at Vimy Ridge.

In my case, my tour of Vimy Ridge was led by a young Canadian university student, who had competed for the job and won it. I was accompanied by my new husband and a group of young Canadian soldiers about to deploy to Afghanistan (who impressed me with their plan to visit all of the historic sites where Canadians had fought during the World Wars). For me, it was the highlight of my honeymoon trip and I was grateful my husband had pushed for this visit in the planning of our trip because I would have missed seeing something which made me profoundly proud to be a Canadian!!

There will be four thousand Canadian students at the site of the Battle of Vimy Ridge to celebrate its 95th anniversary today and there were thousands in attendance five years ago to celebrate its 90th anniversary and the unveiling of the refurbished Vimy Memorial. And I am thrilled for them and for Canada!!

Ms Urquhart’s article is worth reading and sharing with your family. You can find it by following this link http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/our-lost-and-found-memories-of-vimy-ridge/article2395490/